The Unstruck Tower

With a day of basically being at loose ends ahead of her, Raven sets out to check in on her people that they'd accidentally left behind for ten days. And once she's done making sure her ship is in one piece and her crew understands that they weren't stranded, and dealt with any issues there, she checks on the Weir who aren't down in the catacombs - not that they're her people, but she figures she's basically responsible for them right now.

The crew, being Amber tars, is quite used to commanders who disappear and re-appear. They're less used to Raven being that kind of commander. 95 percent of them are glad they're not captain.

And then there's one small thing left on her list of things that need to be done in Gateway.

So she goes in search of the harbormaster.

The harbormaster is at her office. She's new, as Marta appointed her to fill the vacancy recently.

Raven pauses a moment at that, and then shakes her head. Right - kick out the old boss, new boss puts their people in place. Of course. Does raise some other questions, though. "Harbormaster? Hate to bother you, but I've a few questions."

She looks up from the papers she's studying, and puts down a pair of reading glasses. It's hard to tell if she's annoyed or happy for the interruption.

"Oh, yes, Captain Raven, isn't it? The Chancellor speaks highly of you and your crew."

It's possible that that's true, and not just name-dropping.

"Aye, that's me. Not sure I caught your name, though?" Raven will offer a handshake in greeting, and whatever pleasantries the harbormaster might want to discuss.

Eventually, though, she says, "I'm hoping you can help me find someone, or at least what happened to him."

"Harbor Mistress Grita," the woman says, taking Raven's hand and giving it a firm handshake. "Who are you looking for? This office is generally more likely to find ships than people."

Raven snorts. "Well, here's hoping I don't have to have you find one of those too. I was here a while back, while the folks that just got removed from command were still in charge, and somebody else was harbormaster. Don't suppose you know who that was?"

Grita looks up. "I did. The reason there was a vacancy was that he was Dexamene's younger brother. We think he and his staff were destroyed in the tower." She pauses, and picks up a stick of something and puts it in her mouth. "Unless you mean before him. I knew that Harbormaster, too. I'm aiming to break the losing streak."

"What happened to that one?" Raven asks.

"Her successor happened to her. She lost her job and her life defying Dexamene." She blushes. "Until recently, I'd've said we were an advanced society, beyond the use of violence to change the political stance of our nation, but that hasn't been true since the black ice in the frozen lands."

"Pretty sure it wasn't quite as explosive as this time," Raven says dryly, "but what happened when Dexamene took over? Sounds like it wasn't peaceful?"

"Peaceful?" She seems to be weighing the word, as if it's a new one to her. "It was peaceful for most people. It was only not peaceful if you were in Dexamene's way. I was at the Collegium. We holed up and protected our own."

"And after?" Raven asks. "Once the dust had settled. Place seemed pretty peaceful when I was here, at least for folks that weren't me."

Grita looks surprised. "When were you here again? The triumvirs tried to keep things calm, and then got really paranoid when whatever double-cross they tried with their partners didn't work. They would've been pleased if you didn't notice their troubles. Even now we're a shadow of what we once were." She takes a few deep breaths, but apparently this is a topic she feels strongly about.

Raven shakes her head. "I don't even know how to give you a date on that. Ten days plus a while before. We followed a tsunami of dead bodies to get here, and the man that had this post before you threw me in a cell with the only other person from Amber in this city at the time. If that helps?"

"Oh, we heard about that," Grita says, revising her estimate of Raven upwards. "I think that might've been the last-but-one Port Master. Losing the insurance policy was a definite way to get dead in the old regime." She smiles. "Didn't realize that was you. You're kinda famous here. Not like Weyland, but still."

Raven blinks at the unexpected response. "I am? You lot like stories of escaping prisoners or something?"

"For values of 'us lot' being the people opposed to the Triumvirate, yeah, we like stories of people sticking it to our enemies." She pauses. "Imagine if Weyland had arrived here and his son was still in that jail cell. You probably saved some lives."

Well, Raven can't argue with that logic. "I'd rather not imagine," she says dryly. "Got a little closer of a look at his handiwork than I really needed. Listen, your predecessor - did he leave anything behind in this office? He had a... gun, I think he called it? Seemed like something that shouldn't be left lying around."

Grita makes a face, thinking. "I'm sure it shouldn't. I've seen it, but I think my predecessor had it. I haven't seen it here so it's either at her quarters or she took it with her to the tower and now it's gone." She pauses. "Is it important? We can probably divert some people to search for it."

Raven snorts. "Important? Maybe, maybe not. It's just a strange weapon waiting for some fool to stumble over it," she says dryly. "I won't tell you how to run things, Harbormaster, but you might want to take a look around before somebody gets hurt. If you do, and you turn up anything on where it came from, I'd like to know, if you don't mind."

Conner continues to munch on fish as he returns his attention to the drawing board before him. He had spent hours researching the tower. He dived into architectural plans, artistic renderings, personal memories, even a little light scrying back in time to fix the image of it in place.

After getting a firm of picture of his desired outcome, Conner moves to prepare the ground. Around the crater where the tower once stood, Conner builds twelve pedestals of stone arranged at the hour points of the clock. Upon them he draws runes corresponding to the positions in the heavens of the sun and stars at the point in time when the Tower still stood. Atop each pedestal he places a clock of brass and alchemical copper. He sets the clock at noon correctly and then proceeds widdershins setting each clock further back in the hour at a greater speed.

To the great consternation of the Colleguim's laborers, Conner instructs that the piles of rubble that had been cleared away be returned. It would serve as a mystical tether to the Tower that was and perhaps become part of it once again. To fill the gap of materials too far gone, Conner calls upon Marta to bring forth supplies of stone and timber, steel and mortar.

Breaking only for a cup of strong coffee, Conner then turns his attention to the thornier problem, how to bring back the tower without bringing back the battle. Conner initially thought to try save any allies that had fallen but in the end decides it was a complication he could not indulge in. Defining life was always a nebulous thing but with a matrix of energy sensors telling people from stone is an easy enough matter. He weaves that matrix around the Eye to keep it focused on where the living were, to keep Conner focused on avoiding them with his main casting.

Once all of the preparations have been made, Conner retreats to a quiet place. He focuses upon Halosydne and Tizon. He bids them be calm, quiet and quiescent, to please ignore the work that was to come.

Conner strides back out to the crater. He adjusts the ticking of the clocks one last time. He stands under the light of the moon, before the pedestal that marked the time of midnight and at the threshold of one day and the next, Conner begins his casting. Within the Eye could be seen the Tower as Conner wishes it to be, standing tall and devoid of both friend and foe. Conner pours his will into the patterns of his magic and pushes back the hands of time.

The rocks fly up and around and the tower re-forms as Conner has ordered. He can feel the passive resistance of the pattern swords and his own blood, but he forces the energy to bend to his will. It is an amazing effort, and takes hours. The stones fly about like those at his Mother's tower, but these stones have a destination. A lesser sorcerer might feel fatigue after the first few hours of but Conner is made of stronger stuff, and learned when young what the skills he would need to outlast mere matter that was bending to his will.

In the end there is clearly a building, empty of people or zombies. The furniture has been remade, the lamps re-lit, and the banners re-hung. Conner might want to have those taken down.

It has taken several of the most powerful wizards at the Collegium to keep people, fearful of a return of Dexamene, from attempting to take the tower apart.

There's a crowd gathered at the base of the tower, near the main door.

Conner smiles with deep satisfaction as the last stone falls into place and he can finally release his spell. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Conner takes in the scene before him. He had been dimly aware of the movement of people around him as he worked and is gratified to see that Marta and her allies had handled crowd control. Conner takes a moment to compose himself and resettle any clothing that came askew during his exertions. He then works two quick spells. The first will cut down the banners of the old order and transport them here for later disposal. The second borrows the unicorn flag from Raven's ship and sets it flying atop the tower. With the stage set, Conner moves towards the waiting crowd. As he walks he takes in the mood of the crowd to decide how best to address them.

Raven has been watching the tower get pieced back together from a distance, keeping well out of range of spellwork, flying rubble, and the crowd. Now that things have calmed down and there's no sign that anyone's coming out of the tower to resume the earlier battle, she makes her way across to fall in step next to Conner.

"Nicely done," she offers quietly, by way of greeting. "You're putting that flag back later, I hope?"

"Probably." Conner nods. "No doubt the Collegium will prefer their own banner. For now though, this tower is mine and I want them to know it."

Marta comes up, wearing her full robes and not-quite-touching the ground. It makes her seem taller. "Good evening, Lord Conner, Captain Raven. My colleagues and I are most impressed with your tower-raising. I think the odds of being mobbed is down a bit because of the flag. Would you care to say a few words to the crowd, before they get restless again?"

Conner nods. "Yes I can see they could use a little reassurance. I'll see what I can do, Chancellor." Conner approaches the crowd and hops up on a convenient pile of stone to give him a little height. The wind that billows his cloak may or may not be natural.

"Greetings, people of Gateway! I am Conner, son of Princess Fiona of Amber, Lord of Amber and Xanadu, Duke of Rebma." Conner beams a benevolent smile upon the crowd. "I apologize if my work here caused you worry or distress. It was not my intention to conjure the fears of the past but to heal some of the damage wrought during those final battles. This tower is my gift to the Collegium as a symbol and reminder that Xanadu and Rebma will always stand by their allies." Conner pauses to let let that sink in.

Raven stands off to the side and back from where Conner is, watching the crowd with the careful eye of someone that's been in maybe one or two riots recently and would really like to not be in yet another one.

That seems to placate them, at least for now.

Marta levitates up beside him. "On behalf of the Collegium Magicarium, Thank you, Duke Conner! We shall assemble parties to investigate it. We are looking for volunteers...". She scans the crowd, seeing that, as expected, there are not many who are ready to take it in.

"Shall we be first, Duke Conner?"

"I insist upon it, Chancellor!" His voice is pitched for the crowd to hear. Conner smiles at Marta before hopping down from his perch. "Come, let us see what lies within!" Conner motions for Raven to join them and strides towards the doors at the base of the tower. It is clear from his pace that he expects the crowd to part for him. As Conner approaches the Tower he scans it with his Third Eye looking for any defensive magics he may have brought back with the structure.

Raven, conscious at least of the niceties of rank here, falls in behind Conner and Marta unless the Chancellor indicates otherwise.

Marta does want Captain Raven at the fore with her. "How did your visit to the Harbormaster go, Captain? I hope you got what you needed."

The ground floor entrance to the tower is imposing, consisting of steps that are just uncomfortably high for a person to climb. It might be to discourage people who can't levitate. The marble of the building gleams and to both Raven's and Conner's eyes, it looks architecturally unsound. Like a top-heavy ship.

But it's beautiful. The foyer is intricately decorated with non-representational designs, and most of the doors are above ground level.

Conner drinks it in for a moment. "The advantage of magical construction is not being bound by convention. Or physics." He observes. "Now if I am remembering correctly, the main library should be about midway up at the top of this atrium level. That seems like a good place to start. Pity the previous administration took out the stairs. Makes you wonder what they didn't want people to get to." Conner smiles. "Give me a moment Captain and I will arrange some transport." Concentrating his will, Conner works to create a solid disk of force large enough for two people to stand on comfortably. It is designed to ignore gravity and respond to the will of its creator for movement.

Raven maybe isn't quite as convinced that not being bound by physics is an advantage in building, but she does appreciate that it's pretty. "After the library," she says, "I'd like to find where the last harbormaster was sleeping. Didn't get exactly what I was after when I talked to the current one, but seeing as how the last one was Dexamene's brother... Probably best to take a look before anyone else gets in here and starts poking around."

Marta nods. "I'm not convinced they slept. It's possible to stay awake by magic for long periods of time, but it leads one to a certain mental degradation. If that doesn't matter, it can be quite powerful." She sees the size of the disk and assumes she's meant to fly beside them. She obliges and matches the rising disk as it carries the two up towards the main library.

It's a disheartening sight. Apparently Dexamene didn't believe in organization or any of the standard library practices, such as shelving. There are books everywhere, and some seem damaged. It's unclear what she was looking for or if she was just making a nest.

Marta looks faint. "Ah. Can I bring in a team of librarians? I suspect it will take more than one."

"Of course, Chancellor. This travesty must be put right. However, since we are here now, let's see what we can do." Conner cracks his knuckles and removes a pocket watch from his vest which he begins over winding. He walks about the library looking for any signs of an area used recently or more frequently than the others: food stains, candle drippings, a comfortable chair in a prime reading position. Failing that, Conner just tackles the largest pile he can find. Conner pours his will into a mesh of personal speed about him and then zips about the stacks of books. He picks them up, flips through the pages in a blur, and stacks of neatly placed books begin to replace the piles. Those that know Conner would recognize the light trance state he uses when committing things to deep memory.

Mindful of the pair waiting on him, Conner only spends half an hour or so on this task. Largely he wants to determine if there is any pattern to the topics of the scattered books. After all, the best place to hide a book is in a library.

When Conner looks up after the first book or so, Marta and Raven have gone exploring.

Conner merely notes this and returns to his work.

Conner thinks the books are nearly randomly chosen, although they seem to be practical in nature. A description of how to mine for Mountain Copper, a long and boring book on raising emuraptors as watch-birds, a novel about a lost fire-maiden returning to the City of Brass after running away with a God in disguise, the complete script for Der Ring des Nibelungen, and many more. While some of the choices are on other topics, there seems to be an unsetting number of books on how to kill a God.

Conner takes the time to read over the City of Brass story a second time and makes a note to check those details against Edan and Bleys's history. As the recurring theme becomes clear, Conner becomes more focused in his reading. Books of other topics are discarded in favor of chasing this path. Of primary concern is how these books are defining Gods. Are these veiled references on how to slay an Amberite or have they set their eyes higher to find a way to strike at the family Patron? Just as important to Conner is the methods described. Do any of the ways match any known attacks or enchantments upon the Family?

The books are all over the place. It could be family, it could be something else. The are books about a trickster-god creating a war between the Fae gods of the air and gods of the sea. It mentions Lir by name, but it's unclear if that's just a coincidence.

Conner eventually gets frustrated with the vagueness and heads out to see where Raven and Marta have gotten to....

"Regardless of whether they were actually sleeping there," Raven says dryly to Marta, "I'd like to see their rooms." She keeps her hands in the pockets of her coat, because the last thing she wants to do is poke at an already-damaged book and make it worse, although that certainly doesn't stop her from looking around. She's very careful to stay out of Conner's way and not go too far; libraries are... not really a place the good Captain has spent much time, but she doesn't figure there's any point in just standing in the doorway and making yet more small talk.

Marta says "of course" and leads the way back into the tower. "Now I have no idea how they lived here, because I was at the Collegium, and we were holed up against their rule. If they'd caught me and brought me here, I would not now be Chancellor."

They find rooms that seem to be converted to living quarters. They might've been offices in the past. There are three at three cardinal points opposite and across from the entrance on the same level as the library. There are smaller quarters nearby. Some look to have been unused for weeks, or ever, but others look like someone lived in them until they stopped living.

Raven nods at that. "Aye, but you're going to have a better idea of where things ought to be," she points out. "Saves me wandering around trying to figure out what I'm doing."

Barring any further input from Marta, Raven will start with the more recently-inhabited rooms, looking for signs of someone that had been working near the docks.

Marta suggests that the three cardinal points were probably for the triumvirate and if they can find Dexamene's quarters, her brother's are likely to be near.

The far chamber seems to have been hers, and while there is no obvious nautical theme to any of the rooms, there are only a few to turn over. "We can start here," says Marta. "What are we looking for?"

"There was a weapon," Raven answers, and she describes what she remembers the Harbormaster pointing at her briefly. "He called it a gun. Ain't from Amber, ain't from Rebma - although we did find a floating Rebman that was carrying one the first time I was here."

"I think there are three possibilities. One, they didn't know what it was and discarded it." Marta doesn't seem convinced of this option. "Two, they didn't care what it was and melted it down to be safe. And three, it looked dangerous or important, so they locked it up somewhere up here. Look for lockboxes or safes." Marta starts moving curtains and pictures and looking behind them.

"Oh, I forgot, how big is this gun?"

"One-hander, as I recall. About so big," Raven answers, gesturing approximately the right size. She starts looking under and behind furniture, looking for boxes that might be lockable and surfaces that might be concealing something.

It turns out to be quite easy to find. It's in a box in Dexamene's chamber. The box is made of crystal and the gun looks to be partially disassembled.

"So, it's what? Some kind of kinetic energy projecting wand?" Marta wrinkles her nose. Even inside the crystal box it smells slightly acrid.

"Ain't entirely sure," Raven admits. "I figured not being hit by it was probably the smarter idea, since I was being given a choice and all, and I wasn't messing with the one we found on that floater too much while I was on my own ship. Pretty sure it's been taken apart a little - see that bit there?"

Marta leans over the case and peers at it from different angles. "Yes, yes I do. That bit causes the other part to free the spring, which pushes the other part forward. Why? Those little arrow things don't look like they'll fly very well."

She stands up straight. "Do you want me to get it out and try to re-assemble it?"

Conner comes in on that line. "Found a puzzle have we?" he asks walking over. Conner frowns when he sees the contents of the box. "A souvenir of Huon's time here I presume. I wonder if they were trying to reverse engineer it." Conner gives the box and gun a look with this Third Eye just to be sure there are no magical protections upon it.

The only protections on the box are to make it shatter proof, which will only go so far if a Scion of Amber wants it to shatter.

"One of them was trying to use it," Raven offers, to catch Conner up on the conversation. "That's the only one I saw in the city, not that I saw much of Gateway when I was here the last time."

"Someone knocked the top off one of the cylinders," notes Marta, who hasn't stopped investigating.

"I'm unclear on the appeal of these. They don't look more dangerous than magic." As the Chancellor of a Magical College, she may be slightly biased.

"Assuming compatible laws of chemistry and physics between Gateway and the place of the gun's manufacture, those projectiles will travel roughly 200 times faster than an emuraptor at full sprint," Conner explains. "The appeal is that I could take some of the least intelligent members of your citizenry and train them into a deadly fighting force in a few months armed with these. It pairs lethality with a low barrier to entry. Equalizers, some call them." Conner falls silent as he contemplates the box and its contents.

Raven whistles softly and shakes her head. "So - definitely ain't supposed to be here, definitely shouldn't be lost track of," she sums up.

Marta apparently agrees with Raven. "I'd wager Dexamene had it taken away from the port. When you're the top magician on either side of the gate, the last thing you want is to be equalized."

She considers. "But it's a great holdout weapon and wouldn't be detected as magic. I think it's horrible. Would you all take it with you when you leave?"

"Don't see why not," Raven agrees, but it's with a glance at Conner. "Might want to keep an eye out in case there's another - I followed floating dead men until I found Gateway, the last time I was here, and at least a few of those had weapons like that. Wherever those bodies came from, they and what they carried must've washed up somewhere."

Marta frowns. "Sounds like they didn't help their owners very much after all. I can have a team search for more with magic. We certainly don't want to have these washing up and causing problems."

Marta, Raven, and Conner search the rest of the tower and while there are many books, they find little else of note that directly relates to the gun, the bullets, or the library search. Someone needs to really look into the books, but that's not a project that could happen in a day.

As the sun is setting through the windows, a runner comes from the harbormaster, with a message. "The harbormaster's greetings and a water breather has presented itself at the gate and asked for the Sons of Oberon. She said there was a message from something for them."

"Sons of Oberon." Conner murmurs. "Was this water breather perchance a Son of the Dragon? A Triton as the Rebmans would call it?"

"A message from something?" Raven asks.

The runner holds up his hand, catching his breath. "I don't know in detail, Master, it was a human who came out of the water, but she talked as if she'd been talking to living water. I didn't understand."

Marta looks at him. "There are many mysteries under the waves," is all she says.

"Indeed." Conner agrees dryly. "Well let's meet this mystery head on shall we?" Conner grins. "Lead the way," he instructs the runner.

"Aye," Raven agrees. The sea has a lot of mysteries above the waves; of course it has them below. She'll follow as well.

The runner does, and the group descends through what will be called 'Conner's Tower' regardless of his wishes. The harbormaster meets them at the Gate, which is an arch above the waves and and continues below. Standing in the pool, with her head sticking out is a blue-skinned Rebman, or a close relative of that people.

She bows. "I am Ebb, messenger of the conclave of families. I am bid to bring a message to Lord Conner, which is that the Lord of the Long Tides has asked for him, if he would come to his assistance."

Conner makes a show of considering the request. "When my business in Gateway is concluded, I will hear the Lord's request for aid. Where is he to be found?"

Raven shoves her hands in the pockets of her coat, frowning a little, and looks from Ebb to Conner, and then to Marta. "Right, I'll bite - 'conclave of families'?"

Marta shrugs and looks at Ebb.

"Lords, I am remiss. The seaward has changed since the tides that turned the corals black arose. The great trading empires joined in conclave to address the crisis, and the body, which is mostly a coordinating group for joint action, continues to exist.

"As it was the Conclave that was approached by the water-being, they sent me, their messenger. If my Lord wishes to find him after I return, ask for me in the Widdershins Spinal Shell and I will take you to it."

Conner nods at that. He was not personally familiar with that Shell but if it was part of the undersea trading empires then someone in Gateway would be. "Very well. I should only need a few days before I am free to travel. If you can tarry that long it would be appreciated." Conner informs Ebb. "How fares the Shells of the Conclave now? Have they recovered from the times of the Black Tide?"

Raven gives a nod of thanks to Ebb for the explanation.

Ebb puts his hands together in a formal gesture of some sort, but not one familiar to Conner or Raven. "My Lord, I cannot tarry, but I will return in four tide-turnings and await your pleasure. The shells have been recovering from the Tide and the loss of trade with the Golden Ring and through the gate, but times are better now. Those who joined the Conclave fared better than those who stood alone, but no one prospered and some shells collapsed." He looks to Marta, "and our surface trading has been... intermittent of late."

Marta nods. "The Triumvirate wanted to either conquer you or ignore you, depending on the day of the week. The new government likes trade and prosperity."

"Then we will surely have both," replies Ebb. "I, for one, am looking forward to the occasional meal of exotic meats, such as chicken or pig-beef."

"The Conclave is welcome to send trade representatives to meet with the Collegium."

Ebb bows, slightly awkwardly. He's probably read about it, but never practiced.

"This is excellent news. I will return to the waterside and inform the fae creature you will be available in few days, Master Conner."

"My thanks, Messenger Ebb." Conner nods. "Until four tide-turnings then."

Conner waits for Ebb to depart then turns to Raven and Marta. "Banding together in the face of enemies has been a recurring theme of late." He comments. "It will be interesting to see how the Shells have truly fared. But that can wait. Now to deal with Weyland. I was thinking to leave a nap and a hearty meal. Possibly after a hearty meal and a nap. Either way, Chancellor, please have whatever credentials that show I speak for Gateway ready by then and I shall try to bring about the peaceful border you desire."

"I shall have them prepared," says the Chancellor, smiling. "Ideally, we wish to invite them to come here to discuss things, but a summit somewhere seems desirable."

"Aye, it does seem to keep coming up," Raven agrees. "Seeing as how I'm not the one that was building a tower, I'll pass on the nap. If there's anything else that needs doing before we leave..." It's not quite a question, but she looks at Conner.

"You could arrange for our transport." Conner suggests. "Might be a good idea to check in on the Weir just to keep them in the loop," he suggests.

Conner slows his horse to a walk as the stone circle comes into view ahead. After his nap and a large meal, Conner had collected the credentials promised him from Marta, appropriated two of the best horses available, and let Raven lead as they retraced their steps to the shadow path. "I have to say the most incredible part of your story was using emuraptors as mounts. Very much something my Sister would do but I think I'll stick to more traditional modes of travel myself."

Raven snorts in amusement at that as she slows her own horse. "Ain't the most comfortable thing I've ever sat on," she admits. "Not something I'm going to look for to ride, but if they're what's there and I'm in a hurry - well, at least I figured out how to steer 'em." She eyes the area ahead. "I said I wasn't sure how close by his tower might be, right?"

Conner nods. "It gives us a place to start. Weyland has no doubt wrapped legend around his home in this place. It should not be hard to find." Conner enters the stone circle cautiously and unless stopped by something passes through to the Plain of Towers.

The Plain of Towers was named by literalists. It is a vast rolling grassland as far as the eye can see, and continues to be the same when sight is magically enhanced. There are nomadic hunting camps along the rivers and occasional villages where the more settled people live. There is no tower immediately in sight, but the legend of this place says they may be a hundred miles apart. There is a tribal village a short ride upstream from their position, and it's probably the nearest settlement. Perhaps they know of Weyland.

Raven nods in the direction of the village. "That looks like a good place to start looking, aye?"

"There does not appear to be an option B," Conner agrees and sets his horse in that direction at a gentle walk. "If they can't point us in the direction I have a few tricks I can try. Hopefully it won't come to that."

"Should I take that to mean they're stupidly rude or that they're gonna destroy something?" Raven asks dryly as she falls in next to him again.

"We have to account for all possibilities." Conner shrugs. "I know very little about the Plain of Towers aside from the obvious. Signy grew up here and Brennan actually met with Weyland awhile back but I never got to really speak with either of them about it. Heroes on the plains and Lords in their Towers and not much trust between them. So I don't know what kind of welcome to expect."

The horses wend their way forward, and the warm sun is welcome after the cold days of Gateway's Winter. If an enterprising Gatwegian set up a vacation resort here, they would get very rich selling sunlight to mages.

The villagers spot them as they approach, but don't seem particularly worried about their presence. Some go about their business, fetching food or washing clothes, others seem inclined to watch them from afar.

An older man wearing buckskin clothing walks over. He doesn't look like he's armed.

"Hello Strangers. Welcome to Seventeen Birds village."

Conner smiles brightly at the man. "Seventeen Birds?" He sounds pleasantly amused. "There's a story there I'll wager. I'm Conner and this is Raven." Conner smiles at the thought of Raven being the village's 18th bird. "We seek one of the Tower Lords and hoped you might know of him."

Raven gives a brief nod in greeting at her name and adds, "Or might know someone that can send us the right way."

He nods back at them. "Well met, Conner and Raven. I am Circling Kestral. We are far from most towers here. There is only one within a five score miles, and it is that of a particularly unfriendly Lord who likes the company of the accursed Dvarts. Which Lord do you seek?"

"One that might fit that description." Conner admits. "We seek The Smith, Weyland."

Raven nods in agreement, but she has to ask. "Who or what are the Dvarts?"

Circling Kestral nods. "We know of him. All clans do. His tower is threescore miles north of here, where the plains finally reach the Northern Mountains. The Northern Range is home of the Dvarts, who live under them, mining jewels and gold. They are his allies, because no man will treat with him.

"The closer you get to his tower, the more hostile the locals are to his presence. I hear his own child fled the tower and made unceasing war on him for decades. She's dead now, they say."

"They are incorrect, I say." Conner replies dryly. "I have met the Smith's daughter and she is very much alive and rather glad to be living in a land her father does not call home." Conner adds. "So sixty miles to the north at the foot of the mountains and do not expect a friendly reaction to his name as we draw close. Thank you very much Circling Kestral. Your aid is appreciated."

"Aye, I've met her as well, and not long ago," Raven agrees. "Anything else we ought to be wary of between here and that tower?"

The nomad nods. "Thank you for the news. I knew men in her band, many years ago. I will add that to the lore."

He turns to Raven. "The usual. Herds of alpacaderms and the men and beasts who hunt them. Snakes. A river that you have to ford. If you want to hire a guide, I could save you some time and danger."

Conner considers this for a moment. "Do you have your own mount and what is your price?" Conner asks.

Raven waits for that answer as well.

Kes smiles. "All horse nomads have a horse, and another to sell and the gold to buy, if it comes to that. It's a saying.

"I have a fine mare who likes to walk long distances. And I don't want to set too high a price. Perhaps your horses, when you leave the plain of towers?"

Conner considers haggling for a moment. After all, the horses aren't technically his. "Done." Conner agrees. "I favor speed over safety for this journey. Aside from that I'll trust to your judgement as to our route."

"You know," Raven says mildly, "the last time someone wanted my horse when I left a place, it wasn't because they were expecting me to leave on a boat. What are we counting as 'leaving' here?"

He shrugs. "I am flexible in terms of when you pay me; I am an honest trader and plainsman. When you are satisfied I have met my obligation to you, you can fulfill your part of the agreement."

Conner nods in agreement at that then adds in a low voice to Raven. "I am not certain how we will be leaving this Shadow but it easy enough to find new mounts if we walk and easy enough to avoid walking if I choose."

He starts to walk towards a corral by the river. "Let me get Elvestar, and we can be off. We can hunt if we need food along the way."

"We have provisions but I'll not say no to fresh meat if the opportunity presents itself." Conner agrees.

"Aye, agreed," Raven says.

And then she adds lowly to Conner, "Ain't so much worried about how we're leaving as curious why he thought we wouldn't be needing them."

"I don't think he cares if we need them afterward or not." Conner observes. "They just happen to be what his people value most and at first glance the most valuable things we own. I suspect most strangers that come this way are mercenaries from Gateway without much coin in their pockets."

"There's caring if we need them afterward and there's walking away with them if we disappear into that tower for too long," Raven points out dryly. "Just to name an option. That's why I asked. Seems like he's honest enough, though."

"As you say, honest enough." Conner nods. "I'm even fine with a double cross if he gets us to the tower first."

Raven snorts. "I mean, I'd prefer not to be stabbed for a horse that ain't even mine, but fair enough." She shoots Conner a bit of a sideways glance, frowning a little. "This is likely a dumb question, but - aren't they going to notice, in Gateway? I mean, you just gave away their horses. Or are you figuring they won't care?"

"You were part of the group that put the current government in power and I just showed off sorcerous power beyond that of the most powerful in Gateway," Conner points out. "They may notice and care but no one is going risk our anger or that of Xanadu by pointing it out." Conner smiles. "Especially when I sincerely apologize for the loss but point out it was in service of Gateway's interest."

"And leave out the part where we were wanting to talk to him too, I'm guessing," Raven says. "Other part of the question - it ain't a problem for you? That you just gave away somebody else's stuff - well, somebody else's horses. I know they're horses and they're maybe not so sturdy that them getting killed would be a shock, and neither would the bloody things wandering off if they're left alone for long enough, but they were borrowed, not bought. Seems like we're kind of responsible for them."

"No, it doesn't bother me." Conner shrugs. "Gateway won't miss them. These nomads live and die by their horses so they will be treated well. What else is there to be concerned about?"

Raven shrugs a little. "Spent a couple of years trying to get things and people I was responsible for back where they belonged," she answers. "Feels weird to me, to just trade 'em like that."

"Of course you would. You were Captain." Conner points out. "But I suspect you'd trade most items on the ship if it would save the crew and you would go into battle knowing that you'd likely lose some men to save the rest." Conner looks over. "So much of Family dealings boils down to what you are willing to pay to get what you want. In this instance, it is a pair of horses to gain safety for Gateway and an audience with one with old knowledge we need. From there, you could not see with a telescope the lines I won't cross."

"He was interested in talking to me about the time I spent locked up with Marius, too," Raven offers. "That was before I pretty much told him to shut his mouth and let the kid talk, though."

"Well if he still wants something from you, that gives us something to work with." Conner notes. "By the kid do you mean the urchin we failed to find in Xanadu?"

Raven nods. "Aye, that'd be the one. Phillippe. He was spelled into an emuraptor when we found him, or that's the idea I got from Brita, anyway. Weyland went off on 'how do you know he's not a shapeshifter' while we were trying to hear about the kid's vision of doom."

"That might be worth checking on at some point." Conner admits. "So on the topic of things you are responsible for, will you be tracking him down to return him to Gateway or leaving him as a new citizen of Xanadu?"

"Assuming he and Max ain't decided to live in one of those holes - which, I might've tried it if I'd had half a chance, at that age," Raven admits with a wry smile, "then aye, I mean to track him down. He came with us because of the vision he shared with us, and that got put aside because of... well. All of what's going on. So there's that, and it seemed like he and Harper were working together. Seems to me he probably ought to have a chat with her before he just up and leaves."

Conner nods. "A problem for another day then."

"Aye," Raven agrees.

Kestral returns, with a well-apportioned horse. It has a hand-tooled saddle covered with patterns of kestrels and is carring food and supplies for three.

Kestral has a large, broad sword strapped to his back. While he looks a bit old and skinny to wield it, he does have a certain wiry strength that may not be obvious at first glance.

"We're ready. I had to find someone to watch my dog."

He mounts and, if the others are ready, leads them out onto the plains.