Lord Barian and the Lord of the West March exchanged a glance that could have ignited large bonfires. Neither spoke.
Kaylin then turned to the Hallionne. “If we don’t accept your hospitality—”
“I understand, Lord Kaylin.” The Avatar turned to Lord Bellusdeo. “While you are guest within my boundaries, no harm will come to you.”
Only, Kaylin thought bitterly, if she remained. And they couldn’t remain here forever.
Ynpharion continued.The Lady says the information arrived upon your arrival in the West March. It does not coincide with your arrival in the Hallionne Orbaranne.
Well, that was something. On the one hand, Kaylin was glad, because had it gone the other way, it would have left only two obvious suspects: Lirienne and the Hallionne herself. On the other hand, suspects were littered everywhere in the West March, and narrowing it down was going to take a lot of work, work that her lack of experience with both the customs of the West March and its general terrain would make extremely difficult.
Add to that the reason they’d been sent here was to find Sedarias...
I do not believe that was the water’s intent,Severn said. She reached for the words.
You spoke to Evanton.
Evanton sent Grethan to Helen; Helen used the mirror to contact me. I was, he added, with a hint of wryness,already on the way to Evanton’s.
Which meant Evanton had no apprentice to snarl at.
The wryness deepened, becoming warmth.Evanton’s concern at the time was the outlay of power the water used. That, and the fact that water used it in the fashion it did. It is his opinion that, had you not been in the doorway, the water could not have transported you; the enclosure of the garden would have prevented it. But the water—and he finds it difficult to commune with it at all at the moment, although he has been trying—acted entirely on its own, without any offered warning.
Ybelline said the same thing, but differently.
Evanton probably had better luck. The water didn’t send you specifically to find the cohort.
But—
She sent you because there was something in the fabric of the physical world that was, that felt, entirelywrong. She sent you because her own interactions with the world are limited by location. It’s likely, in my opinion, that what the water sensed on the periphery of her awarenessisthe reason the cohort are gone, but the cohort disappearing is ancillary to the water.
Ummm.
Yes?
The fire? The earth? The air? Do they not sense the same thing?
She felt his smile again; felt appreciation or approval travel through it.Yes, but to a lesser extent. The water’s interaction with the living has grown stronger because of the Tha’alani. But the earth, of the three remaining, was most disturbed.
I don’t suppose any of them offered any pointers, any advice?
Not precisely. I think they fear the Shadows.They did not use the wordRavellon; Evanton is attempting to interpret what they did say. What will you do?
We can’t leave if the Barrani intend to kill Bellusdeo. I’m not at all sure they’d succeed, she added,but the attempt will enrage the Emperor. And to be fair, will probably enrage Bellusdeo as well. I don’t want the West March reduced to ash.
Or the Barrani?
I’m not sure I care what happens to the Barrani at this point. And I’m not even sure why you’re asking. You can guess.
You want to leave by the portal paths.
I want toexaminethe portal paths. Frankly, if the cohort could be somehow blown off them, I wouldn’t give much for our chances. And,she added morosely,we’ve got Terrano. If he’s anything at all like Mandoran and Annarion, he’ll have Shadow swarming around him.She stopped, then.I think he already did. He just wasn’t paying enough attention towhatthey were.
Be careful. The Consort has left the High Halls.
ItoldYnpharion to tell her—Leontine left her mouth.I’m not sure we have the leisure to wait for her arrival.
What choice do you have?
