To Ursa I said, “These will be necessary if we want to get Lord War from here to wherever without him escaping.”
She nodded reluctantly to that.
Ursa and Eorthan helped me into the first set.
Are you there Auwei?
Yes.
So… not cut off. Then I wonder if I can veer?
I veered into my spider form and the manacles fell away, thumping to the ground. That was an interesting start. Usually everything I had on me would shift with me, which might have included the manacles but they’d remained autonomous. Still, they hadn’t stopped me.
With the second set, I felt an indescribable resistance to shifting, but it was still possible. I told Eorthan as much. Also speaking to Auwei was possible, but our communication was sort of slurred and difficult, as if we were two drunken people trying to shout at each other. Very odd indeed.
He nodded. “I used different aspects of the nature of steel to imbue them, this one focused on steel’s resilience. The last set might work. I focused my crafting into the steel’s generally unchangeable nature.”
“But steel is changeable,” Ursa said. “You made it into manacles, isn’t that changeable?”
“Only at high temperatures. So, you’d have to heat the manacles to a very uncomfortable heat to overcome their magic.”
“Ah.” She nodded.
I tried on the last set.
Auwei?
No response. Curious.
When I tried to veer, nothing happened. “It worked!” I said, excited. “Here, Ursa, try them on, I want to make sure they’ll work on anyone.”
Once I removed them Auwei gasped.That was horrible, like being in a cold dark place. I couldn’t sense anything from you at all!
Was it different from when Hale cut off our connection?
Yes, very. Then I was still a part of you, I just couldn’t reach you. This was like being torn away from you entirely.
I’m sorry you had to go through that.
I know it was necessary, but let’s not do that again, shall we?
Agreed.
Ursa was hesitant, but saw the need to test the manacles and did as asked. She too, couldn’t change with them on. She tried to use her extreme strength to break the manacles, but only succeeded in wearing herself out and hurting her wrists.
“They work,” she admitted, then grunted a sour, “Ow.”
That was another part of my plan in place. The next bit would be the hardest yet.
Fin returned Ursa and me to Cliffside and then was off to wait for Alvere to be done to return him here as well. I met with Dove and Ursa in my room.
The plan was for Fin to take Alvere, Ursa, and Dove to some of the Nobles we thought we could trust. Already Grizzly himself had talked to Tanuki, and she seemed on board with the plan, but we’d stop in to see her, just to verify. We also would speak with Spike, the leader of Porcupine house. Fin could get us close to that one, since it was further up the eastern coast of Elista. After that… we’d try with Wyvern and possibly Pegasus. Those were the two risky ones.
“I’ll be there, every step of the way with you,” I said to my sister. I would go along too, but in avatar form, hidden among their clothes. As long as Hale didn’t make an appearance, I’d be fine.
“Are you sure we should be visiting Lady Silvermane?” Dove asked, worried. “We know Lord Horn sides with his son and it would be nearly impossible to get a meeting with Silvermane without Horn there.” Even though these were members of the House she’d once been a part of I could see the fear in her eyes. She was a strong woman, but the betrayal she’d endured when Hale had accosted her… that had left deep scars. It was hard for her to trust anyone outside of myself and my House.
“I could do that one with just King Alvere,” Ursa said.
