aNo, itas not,a he said, pulling her tighter. The ferocious joy of holding her when head been half-certain head never see her again kept him teasing her beyond prudence. aSo why didnat you tell me you loved me before? Twenty years didnat give you enough time? Or did you only figure it out when you thought I was dead?a aOh, aye, if Iad have told youa"youad just have said the same back,a she said.

Her answer made no sense to hima"except that she really didnat find anything amusing in the situation. He didnat want to hurt her feelings, so he tucked the laughter of her presence inside his heart and tried to understand what had upset her.

aIf you had told me that you loved me,a he said carefully, aIad have told you the same.a aYou wouldnat have meant it,a she said firmly. aHavenat you spent the last twenty years trying to make up for marrying me by being the perfect husband and father?a Her words stung, so his were a little sharp in return. aIad have meant it.a aYou married a woman you thought a child, married her so that you would not have to take over the bakery from Alinath and Bandor. You felt guilty.a aOf course I did,a he agreed. aI told them we were married. I did it knowing that you were too young for marriage and that you would have to give up your magic and your people. I knew that you were frightened of rejoining the Travelers and having to take responsibility for so many lives againa"but I knew that was where you felt you belonged and I kept you with me.a aYou did it to save yourself from being forced into the bakery,a Seraph said. aAnd that made you feel guilty. If Iad told you then that I loved youa"youad have said you loved me, too, because you wouldnat hurt my feelings.a Abruptly Tier understood. He pulled her back to him and laughed. He started to speak, but he had to laugh again first. aSeraph,a he said. aSeraph, I was never going to be a bakera"even Alinath knew that. I wanted you. And I was extremely glad that circumstances forced you to turn to me. I donat know that I loved you thena"I just knew that I couldnat let you get away from me.a He stepped back so he could look into her face. aI love you, Seraph.a He watched, delighted, as tears filled her eyes and spilled over, then he kissed her.

aI was so afraid,a she said when she could talk. aI was so afraid that wead be too late.a She sniffed. aPlague it, Tier, my nose is running. I donat suppose you have something I can wipe it on?a He pulled back and stripped off his overshirt and handed it to her.

aTier,a she said, scandalized, athat is silk.a aAnd we didnat pay for it. Here, blow.a She did. He wadded up the shirt and wiped her eyes with a clean spot. Then, the expression in his eyes holding her motionless, he tossed the shirt on the floor. He put a hand on either side of her face and kissed her, open-mouthed and hungry.

aI love you,a she whispered when he pulled his head away, breathing heavily.

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her close. aI know that,a he said. aIave always known that. Did you think that you could hide it by not saying the words? I love you, tooa"do you believe it now?a Seraph started to answer him, but then remembered that head know if she lied. Did she really believe him when he said that he loved her?

Whatever he believed now, she knew she was right about the reasons head married her in the first placea"he needed a reason to leave the bakery that would allow him to stay near enough so that he didnat feel that he was running away from his family again. But that didnat mean that he wasnat attracted to her. It didnat mean he couldnat have grown to love her.

Yes, she believed him. She started to say so, but shead waited too long.

aYou know, for an intelligent woman,a he said, exasperated, ayou can be remarkably stupid.a He threw up his hands and paced away from her. aAll right, all right. Maybe if I married a woman and felt Iad taken advantage of her, if she asked me, I might tell her that I loved her. Maybe I wouldnat want to hurt her feelings. You could be right about that. But why do you persist in believing that I couldnat love you even if I felt guilty about marrying you so young? Is it impossible that Iave lusted after you since you stood on the steps of that inn and defied the whole lot of grown men whoad just gotten finished killing your brother?a She tried to hide her smile, but he saw it, and it only made him angrier.

So he did what he always did when shead pushed past that air of pleasant affability he showed the world. He dragged her back against him and kissed her again. Hot and fierce he moved his lips on hers, forcing his tongue through before she could welcome him. The stone was cold on her shoulders as his hips settled heavily against her midriff and demonstrated quite admirably that, if nothing else, his lust was quite real.

aAll right,a she said mildly, if a bit breathlessly, when he freed her mouth at last. aI believe you love me. Likely our sons and that poor woman you left with them believe you love me, too. Shall we go see?a He laughed. aI missed you, Seraph.a

CHAPTER 15.

Inside Tieras cell (for thatas what it was, even decked out in luxuries befitting royalty) Seraph saw that she had been exactly right about what everyone had been doing. Lehr looked uncomfortable, Jes, inscrutable, and the woman, Myrceria, looked vaguely panicked.

aI am sorry,a said Seraph sincerely to Myrceria. aI meant no insult to you, Myrceria, but crying in front of strangers is not something I do willingly. We had all but given Tier up for dead these months past and I could hardly believe that he is here safe.a Myrceria looked distinctly relieved at Seraphas calm manner. She got to her feet. aOf course I understand; Iall leave you, Tier, to your reunion.a aThank you,a said Tier. aLet me know about the Disciplining.a She paused by the door. aI wonat tell them that your family is here,a she said.

aI didnat think you would,a said Tier. aSleep well.a aI think I will,a she said and closed the door behind her.

Tier sat down on the bed, pulling Seraph down next to him and tucking her under his arm. Lehr sat on the other side of him, not quite touching, but close.

aSo,a said Tier. aTell me about your adventures. Not you, Seraph, I want more than the bare bones. Lehr, what happened? You thought I was dead?a Seraph was happy to let Lehr do most of the talking. Tier seemed to think that they were all safe here for now, and she was content with his assessment. She closed her eyes and breathed in Tieras scent, felt his warmth against her side.

At the end of the story, Tier shook his head. aMy love,a he said, and she saw the laughter in his eyes. aYou have changed: you brought a whole Traveler clan out to Taela to rescue me. When did you learn how to be so persuasive?a She scowled at him. aWhen I discovered it was more useful to have pawns to do what I wanted them to than it was to kill them all and do it myself.a Triumph flooded her when she saw that Tier wasnat absolutely certain she was joking until Lehr laughed.

Tier rolled his eyes. aLeave for a season and see what happens. The women and children donat remember the respect they owe you. What are you planning on doing with a whole clan?a aWead have never found a way into the palace without them,a said Seraph.

Lehr laughed. aTurns out that one of the emperors hired Travelers to work some magic for him a few generations back. He didnat want to be seen consorting with them, so he brought them in by a secret way.a aWe went under the ground,a said Jes, his voice dreamy. aFungus hung from the sides of the tunnel like strings of melted cheese.a aJes found a girlfriend,a said Lehr.

Tier looked at Seraph, but it was the first shead heard of it. Jes smiled sweetly, and said nothing.

The girls of Rongieras clan wouldnat come within a dozen yards of Jes if they could help it. aHennea?a she said.

Lehr grinned. aI think thatas how she feels about it, tooa"sort of shocked and dismayed, but Jes is smug.a aHennea is the Raven you found, right?a asked Tier.

She nodded.

aDonat worry so, Mother,a said Jes.

Tier smiled and kissed the top of her head. aTrust Jes,a he said. aHeall be all right.a He looked over at Lehr. aHow do you like being a Hunter?a aHeas always been a Hunter,a said Seraph acerbically. She wasnat certain that she wanted to hear Lehras answer to that question. She didnat want her son to be unhappy. aHe just didnat know about it.a aThe Lark of Rongieras clan has been teaching me some things that are pretty interesting,a said Lehr.

Tier reached out and patted Lehras knee sympathetically.

aRinnie wanted to be a Guardian,a Jes said, his gentle eyes gliding over Lehr. aShe wanted to turn into a panther, like me.a aIall just bet she did,a said Tier. aIave missed you all.a aWe should go, Papa,a said Jes abruptly.

aWe canat,a answered Seraph. aOne of Tieras friends is in danger, and the wizards here have bespelled Tier so he canat leave the Pathas domain.a She saw the Guardian rising through her sonas eyes and said, aItas nothing I canat fix, but Iall need a little time to study it. In any case he wonat go until his friend is out of danger. Tier, Lehras told you our story, tell us what happened to you.a They werenat as polite an audience as he had been, interrupting him frequently. Seraph pestered him for details about what little he recalled from the times the Pathas wizards had taken him. Lehr teased him about the women whoad bathed him and braided his hair and fretted when Tier told them how he was imprisoned by magic. Jes was quiet until Tier told them about his royal visitor.

aThe Emperor?a said Jes. aThe Emperor visited you in your cell?a aHow did he know you were here?a asked Lehr suspiciously.

aIam sworn to secrecy so I need to get his permission before I tell you,a said Tier. aBut thatas another story entirely.a Both of the boys enjoyed Tieras explanation of how head begun winning over the Passerines.

Seraph shook her head. aThey didnat know what they were doing, kidnapping you.a aWell,a said Tier. aI may have outsmarted myself. Seems Telleridge tried to set one of my boys out on a bullying mission, something that boy had done a number of times. Kissel refused and, being a straightforward sort of fellow, he told Telleridge that the reason head refused was because I wouldnat like it.a aIs he the one that you were worried about?a asked Seraph.

aMyrceria told me tonight that the Masters, the Pathas wizards, are organizing something they call the Disciplining.a He told them what he knew of it. aI donat think that theyall actually go after Kissel; heas got friends in high places. I think theyall take the boy that they tried to send Kissel after.a He leaned his head back against the wall. aSeraph, you said that Bandor and the Master in Redern were shadowed.a aYes. Lehr and Jes both could see it.a He inhaled. aWhen Phoran and I combined all the information that we had about the Path we came to some disturbing conclusions. That plague that swept through the Traveling clans twenty years ago also visited the noble houses of the Empire and when it was finished, the Emperor was dead, leaving only an infant on the throne. Also a high percentage of the followers of the Path found themselves Septs, though they might have been as many as eight or ten people away from the inheritance when the plague hit.a aYou think that there might be another one,a she said, cold chills tightening her spine. aNot just shadowed, but willingly shadowed like the Unnamed King. You think it might be this Telleridge?a He nodded. aPhoranas sent for my old commander, the Sept of Gerant. Heas on his way, now. With his military and tactical advice, Phoran hopes that he can break the Path. If we take them by surprise and Phoran is ruthless enough, heall be right.a aBut Gerant wonat be here in time to save your boy,a said Seraph softly.

aProbably not.a aThese Passerines of yours,a said Seraph thoughtfully. aThey wonat willingly participate in hurting another boy.a aI donat think so,a said Tier. aSome of them, maybe, but most of them wonat.a Seraph smiled. aThen the Masters will be straining to enforce their will upon them with their stolen Bardic Orders. Tell me, Tier, if all of the Path were in the same room together, how many would there be?a aThere are about sixty Passerines,a he said. aI donat know exactly how many Raptorsa"I have the names of about a hundred. Perhaps double that.a aAnd the wizards,a said Seraph. aYou said there were five.a aFive,a he agreed. aAnd a handful of apprentice and hedge-witch types.a aWe have an Owl, a Falcon, an Eagle, and two Ravens,a said Seraph. aI donat know how many ordinary wizards the clan has, but theyall come along. There are probably fifty Travelers who would love nothing more than an excuse to attack a bunch of solsenti whoave been preying upon Travelers.a aYou are short one Owl,a said Tier. aTheyave done something so that my magic doesnat work on them, remember?a Seraph frowned. She didnat like the mysterious magic that these Masters had been working on Tier. aThat kind of thing works better on wizards than it does on Order-Bearers.a She tapped her fingers against her lips as she worked it out. aYou said that it just keeps your magic from working on them, right?a He nodded.

aThat would be a very difficult and odd thing to do on purpose,a Seraph said. aTheyad have to have something personal from everyone who is a follower to do thata"blood or hair. It would be an incredibly complex spell and the power it would require . . .a She stopped when a better idea occurred to her. aIall ask Hennea to be certain, but it sounds to me that it is more likely that their spell is imperfect and erratic. Hennea told me that they donat really know as much about the Orders as they think. Blocking the powers of an ordinary wizard would be simple if they had enough power. But in order to block the powers of an Order-Bearer theyad have to be very specific about everything they want to stop. Iall bet that some of the odder magics still come to you without a problem. Because they didnat get it right, their spell will be unraveling slowly.a She nodded because the explanation fit what she knew of magic and Tieras experience here. aYour magic didnat work on them, because they and you know it wonat work. But even that effect will fade with time.a She smiled at him. aBut even if it doesnat fade, you have already made your contributions in the number of Passerines who will take your side. If we attack them during the Disciplining, weall have the Travelers, both warriors and wizards; our Order-Bearers; and most of the Passerines. You said that the Disciplining is mandatory for the Passerines, but not the Raptors.a aThat doesnat mean that they wonat be there,a he said. aBut I see where youare going. Theyall all be there, the Masters who are the real danger. Once they are gone, Phoran can take his time to eliminate the rest. Weall have to talk to Phoran, though. Iall not bring a clan of Travelers into his palace without his permission if I can help it.a A light knock sounded at the door, sending Tier to his feet, aA moment, a moment,a he said, glancing around the room, though he knew there werenat any hiding places.

aPeace,a whispered Seraph. aHe wonat see Jes, anda"a She turned to Lehr, but couldnat see him either. aIam going to have a talk with Brewydd about what sheas teaching Lehr,a she murmured. aGo ahead and open the door, Tier. He wonat see me either, not unless heas one of your wizards.a With a whisper of magic she ensured that shead not attract any notice. Tieras visitor would see her, but he would just ignore her presence unless something called her to his attention.

Tieras eyebrows climbed and his mouth quirked with amusementa"at himself, she thought. It was one thing to know everyone in your family could work magic; it was quite another to have them do it.

aToarsen,a he said when head opened the door. aCome in.a aI came as soon as I heard,a said Toarsen. aThe rumoras being passed all over the Eyrie. Thereas going to be a Disciplining.a aI heard,a said Tier. Seraph could see her husband weighing some decision.

aToarsen,a he said, aif you needed to get in to see the emperor, could you? At this time of night?a aIa"I suppose I could,a Toarsen said, abut not without my brother Avaras help.a He hesitated and thrust his chin up. aBut I wonat do anything that will imperil my emperora"even if heas a stupid sot more interested in the newest wine from Carek than in running his Empire.a aAgreed,a said Tier. aWhat Iad like you to do is persuade your brother to get you in to see the Emperora"tell him itas urgent that you do so. Thena"a Tier paused and shook his head. aThen tell Phoran you have a message for him that you canat give him in front of anyone except for Avar. The Emperor knows too much about you, my lad, to trust himself to you, but he trusts Avar. When the three of you are alone, you tell Phoran that his Bard would like an urgent word. Tell him that you and Avar will accompany him, if he doesnat mind. Tell Phoran that I have a plan, but time is of the essence.a Toarsen stared at him. aPhoran knows about you?a The Bard grinned wickedly. aDonat go dismissing your emperor out of hand, lad. I have a feeling that a lot of people have underestimated him, and theyare about to get a rude awakening.a Toarsen nodded slowly. aAll right. Iall do it. If I canat get in, Iall come back alone.a aGood, lad,a said Tier, patting his shoulder and shooing him out the door. He waited until the sound of Toarsenas footsteps grew faint.

aThat was Toarsen, the Sept of Leheighas younger brother,a he said, sitting back down beside Seraph. aHeall find Phoran for us.a aYou know,a muttered Seraph, whoad been working through Tieras story while he talked with the boy, aI knew that we were in trouble when all of our children were born Ordered. I should have resigned myself to fighting against another shadowed with the Emperor at my side years ago.a Jes looked back at her impassively, but Lehr smiled. aMaybe the gods are making you make up for those wells and blights you didnat fix for all these years in one fell swoop.a Seraph stole Tieras eye rolla"she could do it when she chose. aCheeky. Carry them for nine months, feed them, clothe them, and what do I get? Impertinence.a aSeraph,a Tier asked, aif they want my Ordera"why didnat they just take it? Why wait for a year?a aIam not certain,a said Seraph, abut magic works better on something you know well. I could cast a spell better on you than I could on a stranger. Their magic isnat foolproof; a lot of their stones donat work right. The year wait might be time for one of their wizards to get close to you so that their spells will succeed.a Tier rubbed his face. aI canat tell a solsenti wizard from anyone else unless heas gathering magic, can you?a Seraph shook her head. aI can see the Orders, if I look. But simple wizards, no.a Tier yawned. Seraph frowned at him.

aHow many nights do you sit up plotting?a she asked briskly, but didnat wait for an answer. aBoys, can you settle yourselves to being quiet? Tier, you wonat do anyone any good if you fall over asleep. You lie down here, and the boys and I will keep watch until the Emperor comes.a He started to protest, and it was a mark of how tired he was that he stopped himself. aMy love, if you make yourself comfortable, Iall lay my head upon your lap and dream sweetly for a year.a aSee,a said Lehr in a stage whisper, athatas how you get women to do things for you. You ought to try it, Jes. Think Hennea will let you rest your weary brow upon her lap?a aLehr,a said Jes, ashut up and let Papa sleep.a Seraph didnat sleep, though truthfully she was tired as well, but sitting peacefully on the soft bed with her husbandas head in her lap was as effective as a weekas worth of sleep. While she waited she worked on loosening the magic net the solsenti wizards had bound around Tier. She didnat fight them but just encouraged the unraveling that time would have brought.

When she had done what she could, she half-opened one eye and saw that Lehr was sleeping sitting up. Jes was alert and watchfula"he nodded his head at her so that she would know that head seen her looking. The very peace that had settled in her heart told her it was really Jes who watched and not the Guardian. She thought it was a good sign that the Guardian would trust in Jes.

She closed her eye and let herself enjoy the quiet.

aSomeoneas coming,a said Jes softly.

Tier rolled to his feet and stretched. aThank you, love. Would you all please stand so that you arenat directly in line with the doora"but no disguises, eh? If this isnat Phoran, Iad rather keep your presence quiet, but if it is Phoran, I donat want him thinking that weare trying to ambush him.a aThereas three of them,a said Lehr as he obediently shifted over without getting up. aOne of them is Toarsen, one of them is wearing a lot of metal, and the third is in soft-soled shoes.a Tier looked at Lehr in surprise. Well, thought Seraph, shead told him that the children had been growing into their powers.

aHow do you know itas Toarsen?a Tier asked.

Lehr grimaced, aI know. It bothers me, too. Mother says Iall get used to it. But I liked it better when I just thought I was a good trackera"bringing magic into it robs me of the satisfaction of having a skill. Toarsenas wearing leather-soled boots and thereas a nail sticking out of one heel. Gives him a stomp-click, stomp-click kind of walk.a There was a soft knock on the door, and Jesas soundless response made Seraph shiver with the cold.

aWho is it?a asked Tier, deliberately sounding groggy and irritable.

aPhoran,a replied a firm tenor not a whit less irritable. aHere at your command.a Tier grinned and opened the door. aThank you for coming, Your Greatness. Come in.a aI really hate that one,a said a young man who could be none other than the Emperor. His bright eyes slid over Seraph and Jes, paused on Lehr, and returned to Tier. aItas bad enough to be Your Mightinessed and Your Highnessed by people who consider you a fool. But to be insulted for my extra weightaa"he patted his waist, which was plumpa"ais beyond the pale. I hope you didnat wake me up to meet your familya"although your wife is certainly lovely enough to be worth any effort on my part. Iam afraid that Avar is miffed with his brother for having the audaciousness to force him to get me upa"and twice as miffed that I hadnat told him that I was meeting a prisoner in the bowels of the palace.a Tier grinned at him. aHow did you know theyare my family?a Phoran snorted. aA lovely Traveler lady and two boysa"one who looks like her and the other like you? Please, Iam supposed to be a drunkard but I am not a complete idiot. I know that you told me shead come, but isnat she a little early?a He turned gracefully and indicated the big man whoad closed the door behind thema"the one Lehr said was wearing metal. aAvar, Iad like to introduce you to Tier of Rederna"from your own Sept. Tier this is Avar, Sept of Leheigh, and my friend.a aMy Sept,a Tier said, bowing his head briskly.

aWho are you that you call the Emperor to attend you?a said Avar, ignoring Tieras greeting.

Jealous? thought Seraph.

aI am his humble servant,a said Tier smoothly.

aHeas helping me,a said Phoran. aThe Path is more dangerous than you think. It is thanks to Tier that I realized how dangerous. Heas been helping to find out who the Raptors are and at the same time subverting the Passerines.a aThatas why you started the sword drills,a said Toarsen, sounding disillusioned.

Seraph, being a mother, heard the unspokena"you didnat really care about us.

aHe told me,a said Phoran, not looking at Toarsen, athat there were a number of young men who wanted but a little direction to be the best chance I had of controlling my empire.a aYou thought we could aid the Emperor?a said Toarsen, sounding almost shocked.

As if, thought Seraph with exasperation for the male half of the species, being used by the Emperor were a great thing.

aI know you can,a said Tier. aWhere else is he likely to get a bunch of hotheads who can fight and arenat sworn men of some Sept or other?a aCollarnas job,a said Toarsen. aYou arranged Collarnas job.a aActually,a said the Emperor, clearing his throat. aThat was me.a Toarsenas face was bewildered when he turned to Tier. aThe Emperor is a drunken sot,a he said, as if the Emperor werenat standing next to him. aHe follows Avar around like a lost puppy and does whatever Avar tells him to. You, Tier, are a bored soldier who has found a hobby to help make a year in captivity pass more quickly. You find the Raptors annoying and the Masters even more so. So you decided to see what you could do to tweak their tails and gain the admiration of the Passerines. When you started, you found that you actually liked a few of us.a aI was never allowed to be anything but a drunken sot,a said Phoran coolly, but without anger. aAnd everyone follows Avar around like lost puppies.a aI saw a bunch of rowdy boys being led into hell by a pack of carrion-eaters,a said Tier. aAs I rather liked some of you and despise men who play games with other peoplea s livesa"I decided to see what I could do about the situation.a aIt works because he does care,a added Lehr. aIf head just been trying to use you, youad have seen through him.a Avar, leaning against the door, rubbed his face. aWould someone care to tell us why weare here now? Certainly there are better times for theatrics than the wee hours of the morning.a aThe Path is preparing a move to preempt me from taking control of the young men from them,a said Tier. aMyrceria told me that they are intending to have a Disciplininga"a particularly brutal method they employ to keep their secrets. One of the boys is singled out and punished by everyone. I gather that the boy who is punished sometimes doesnat survive. I think that theyall choose Collarna"but they might take Toarsen or Kissel as they are the three who are my closest associates.a Phoran humpfed, then said, aI can warn Collarn on my way back to bed without anyone being the wiser. But we ought to finish the introductions before we attend to business further. Do be a credit to your parentsa instructions in manners and introduce us to your family, Tier.a Tier bowed and grinned sheepishly. aThis is my wife Seraph, Raven of the Clan of Isolda the Silent. My son Jesaphi, whom we call Jes, Guardian. My younger son Lehr, Hunter. Seraph, Jes, Lehr, may I introduce you to Phoran the Twenty-Seventh.a Over the polite murmurs and shuffles, Toarsen said, aTwenty-Sixth.a Phoran grinned. aOnly if you donat count the first one. I always do, since without him there wouldnat have been an Empire, whatever his son Phoran the First or Second said.a Toarsen smiled reluctantly. No wonder her husband liked this boy who happened to be emperor, thought Seraph. They were very much alike.

aI had intended to warn Collarn,a said Tier, returning to the matter at hand. aBut my wife pointed out that this Disciplining is the best chance weall have of clearing the whole lot. Everyone is supposed to attend them. Theyall be expecting some resistance from the Passerinesa"too many of them have begun to look at the things the Path wants of thema"but they wonat be expecting an outside attack.a aWhen will it be?a asked Phoran.

aSometime in the next few days,a replied Tier.

Phoran shook his head. aThere are two hundred of thema"and five wizards, and the Sept of Gerant and his men arenat here yet. I havea"a aI have twenty men here,a said Avar, awho are my men, not my fatheras.a aAnd my wife tells me that she can bring another fifty or soa"light foot, armed mostly with knives with a few swords,a said Tier. aTravelers.a Suspiciously, Avar asked, aWhy would you Travelers be interested in this?a aBecause our people are dying out,a Seraph said. aFor as long as I remember the Septs have been trying to destroy them. If my friends help you, Phorana"would you be willing to return the favor?a Phoran nodded his head slowly. aIall do what I can. I donat have the power that an emperor should, and championing the Travelers is not going to help. But Iall do what I can.a aWill that be good enough?a asked Avar.

Seraph smiled. aThe Path have been killing Travelers for centuries. We just didnat know about them until nowa"if Phoran would not invite us in to help him, we would go after them on our own. But itas much safer to invade the palace under imperial command.a aMyrceria will try and find out when this Disciplining will take place,a continued Tier.

aIall know sooner,a said Toarsen. aMyrceria will have to wait until someone tells her about ita"me they have to send for. With your permissionaa"he glanced from Tier to Phoran as if he didnat really know whose permission he neededa"aIall let Kissel know, too, in case itas me theyave decided to use as an example.a aHow much lead time do you need to bring in the Travelers?a asked Phoran, and they all began planning.

Seraph settled back and gave them information as they asked for it. Clearly the Emperor, Avar, and Tier were having the time of their lives, and the younger men were almost as bada"except for Jes, who seemed content to stay in the background.

It amused Seraph to see that the Emperor, the Sept of Leheigh, and his younger brother all ceded the leadership to Tier, though they all outranked hima"and he had them hanging on his every word.

CHAPTER 16.

The next morning Tier was bone-tired, but more peace- ful than head been for a long time. Seraph was here. Well, not here. Shead gone off to play diplomat among the Travelers, which was pretty strangea"the only person that he knew less suited to diplomacy was Alinath.

aKeep your guard centered,a he told one of his Passerines. aRemember this isnat about first blood, itas about who lives and who dies. Make sure youare one of the former and not the latter.a He paced behind his troops, watching foot positions, when a servant caught hold of his sleeve.

aTelleridge requests a moment of your time.a aToarsen,a called Tier. aKissel. Run the drills for me. If Iam not back, break when every manas shirt is wet through.a Toarsen stepped out of the line and made a quick mocking salute as he did. He didnat look nearly as tired as Tier felt, and head had no more sleep. It made Tier feel old.

The servant took Tier to one of the smaller rooms that served as the Raptorsa meeting halls and opened the door for Tieras entrance. The room had been partially screened off with a delicately carved wooden panel. Four black-robed figures sat in gold upholstered chairs ringed in front of a cheerful fire, two empty chairs in the center. Telleridge, also in his robes, stood in front of the fire.

Telleridge looked up when Tier entered, though the others kept their eyes on the fireplace.

aAh, thank you for attending me. Baskins, you may leave.a The servant shut the door, leaving Tier alone with the Pathas wizards.

aCome have a seat, Bard,a Telleridge said in an unreadable tone.

Warily, Tier sat on the edge of one of the empty chairs as the Master took the other. He had the odd impression that Telleridgeas calm was just a thin film spread over turbulent waters.

aYou have cost us much, my friend,a Telleridge said. aWhatever possessed you to try and take the Passerines from us? Did you think that we would allow it?a aYou arenat doing anything with them,a replied Tier. aThere are a number of fine young men amongst the Passerinesa"and a few who are a waste of shoe leather.a aThey are useful to us.a said Telleridge, sounding distantly amused. Tier took note of the effect, planning to save it for some time when he wanted to be obnoxiously patronizing. aJust as they were. Weave called a Disciplining, which will return control to us, but I fear that very few of these Passerines will make it to Raptor now. I was particularly upset when you took the Sept of Leheighas young brother. I had great hopes for him. And itas too bad about the young musician, Collarna"we shall miss having music in these halls when you both are gone.a aI see,a said Tier, deciding to let the Master direct the conversation into the gently ironic tones he seemed to prefer. aI take it that my demise will happen a little sooner than you planned?a There was a noise from behind the screen, but it was too faint for Tier to identify.

aIam not any happier about it than you are,a the Master said. Apparently the others had all been told to sit and be silent, because none of them had done anything more exciting than breathe since Tier entered the room. aOwls are few and far between, and this haste will destroy our plans. That makes two failures in as many years. Weave never had this much trouble controlling a Barda"I assume itas a Bardic talent you are using to win over the Passerines?a Tier frowned at him. aHow could it be? Youave told me that you have my Order under control.a Head used the methods Gerant had taught him instead, because head never relied on his Order for mucha"unlike a Traveler-raised Bard.

aI wonder that none of our other Bards have done such a thing,a said the Master.

Because a Traveler Bard was hardly likely to worry about the lives of a bunch of solsenti thugs-in-the-making, thought Tier, but he didnat say anything.

The Master waited politely, but when Tier didnat respond he shrugged. aAt any rate, I, personally, am most distressed at a few other things youave cost us,a he got to his feet and strolled to the screen, aCome, Bard. And maybe you will be sorry as well.a For want of a better thing to do while surrounded by five mages, Tier got slowly to his feet and followed the Masteras beckoning. The others got up silently and followed.

A woman was tied naked to a chair, and someone had obviously been testing, in the time-honored fashion, how well flesh fared against knives and other things. Her face was so battered that it was unrecognizablea"but Tier knew the hair.

aMyrceria,a he said.

She stiffened when he spoke, and he realized that her eyes were so swollen that she must not be able to see at all.

aMyrceria has been telling us things,a said Telleridge. aHavenat you, my dear?a He patted the top of her head, then took out a dagger and cut off the gag.

aIam sorry,a she said, her face turned blindly toward Tier. aIamsorrysorry.a aShh,a said Tier, putting some force behind the words. aIt doesnat matter. Shh.a She kept shaking, but she quit apologizing. Either his words worked, or Seraph was right about the unraveling of the Masteras spells and shead felt the magic push head given them.

aI was angry about the Passerines,a said Telleridge. aAngrier still when I questioned Myrceria this morning and realized that instead of keeping an eye on you as she was supposed toa"you had taken her from us, too. She has been a valuable tool for years, and youave ruined her.a His movement was so quick, so unexpected that before Tier realized what the Master had done, Myrceriaas blood showered him from chest to knee.

Telleridge pulled up her head and held it through the throes of death. aSheas been so useful over the years. Where am I going to find another wizard who is so good at getting close to our Traveler guests? I have no more daughters.a He dropped her head and wiped his hands on his robes. Black robes hid the blood much better than Tieras light-colored clothing.

It wasnat, thought Tier, that he hadnat believed they were evil. He had just forgotten how sudden death could be, and how final. Head liked Myrceria.

Tier still had his sword from practice, but this was too well-orchestrated. If his sword would have done him any good, theyad never have let him keep it.

Had Myrceria betrayed their plans? She hadnat known it alla"but shead known enough.

aBut you know the thing that bothers me the most?a asked Telleridge, intruding on Tieras grief and anger. aHow did you get to the Emperor? Do you know how long it took us to come by a harmless ruler? How many people gave their lives so that I could mold the proper emperor? Then suddenly, he is making an effective grasp for power. It wasnat until I spoke with you the other day that I drew a parallel between what youave done to the Passerines and what happened to the Emperor.a Telleridge shook his head. aAnd what have you left us to rule in his place? Avar is next for the throne; but although he is an idiot, he is a well-meaning idiot. Youave ruined Toarsen.a He heaved a theatrical sigh. aNot that it will matter to you how much trouble youave caused, but I thought you might enjoy sharing the stage tonight. Iall leave you for last so you can watch your little projects die.a Tier stared silently at Myrceriaas corpse.

aAh, no words for me, Bard?a taunted the Master.

Yes, thought Tier, it was time to see just how much control they had over his Order.